How I Organize Personal Finance Notes (So I Learn and Apply Them)

Using information architecture to make money lessons stick — and work

Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash

Personal finance seems easy until you try actually to manage your money.

Then you realize it’s not just about earning and spending — it’s about dozens of interconnected ideas: inflation, investing, budgeting, taxes, debt, saving, spending psychology, and more.

When I decided to take personal finance seriously, I did what any lifelong learner does: I started taking notes from books, blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos. After just three months, I had over a hundred notes.

I needed a system.

So, when notes started to multiply and blur, I did what I always do: I built an information architecture using taxonomy, thesaurus, and glossary. In other words, I taught my notes what they mean and how they connect.

Let’s see the exact process I followed — so you can steal it and apply it to your financial learning.